Radiator curtain



Sept- 29, 1936,- w. o. `TWOMBLY 2,056,128

RADIATOR CURTAIN Filed Jan. 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet'l Sept. 29, 1936. w. o. TWOMBLY 2,055,128

RADIATOR CURTAIN I I Filed Jan. 19, 1954 2 sheets-sheet 2 /5 I v l 12T W/'l/a/'d 0. Twom bly v @www Patented Sept. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES RADIATOR Aculrrnlrr 'Willard 0. Twombly, Jackson, Mich.,- assignor,

by mesne assignments, toKJeffrey N. Collins,

Jackson, Mich.

Application January 19, 193i, serial No. 707,406

' a claims. (o1. 12s-V174) v This invention relates to a temperature controlling system for automotive engines and more particularly to such a system wherein the motive power is obtained from the pressure lubricating oil of the engine.

The usual practice in the automotive' industry has been to control the temperature of automotive engines by thermostatically controlled shut ters located in front of the radiator. With the advent of the grilled front radiators, problems in structural design made it inadvisable to use the ordinary form of shutter and as a result automotive engines are appearing without shutters of any description.

1") An object of this invention is to provide a system for operating a rolled curtain which may be raised or lowered in the front of an' automotive engine radiator.

Another object of this invention is to provide 20 mechanism for operating the curtain.

Another object of this invention is to provide a thermostatically controlled roller curtain for automotive engine radiators.

A further object of this invention is to provide vZ5 a thermostatically controlled system, powered by the pressure lubricating oilof the engine, to raise and lower the curtain.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following specification when taken with the 30 accompanying drawings, in which v Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an automotive en gine equipped with a rolled curtain and the operating mechanism therefor,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a radiator equipped .35 with a curtain, v

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation showing details of the curtain moving mechanism,

Fig. 4 is a Vertical section of the thermostatically controlled oil valve, i"

40 Fig. 5 is a vertical section ofthe curtain operating pressure oil actuated motor Vand Vassociated parts,

Fig. 6 is a broken section oi" the exhaust oil return valve, and l v ,45 Fig. '7 is a perspective View of the movable piston pulley bracket.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, I is the radiator of an automotive engine provided with the usual grilled front 2. A roller curtain 3,

50 attached at one end to the bottom 4 of the radiator is rolled on the roller 5. The roller 5 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 6 rigidly connected to the blocks 'I which are clamped to the endless sprocket chains 8. Coiled about the shaft 6 and 5 connected at one end thereto is a spring 9. The

'other end of the spring 9 is connected to the roller 5. The sprocket chains 8 are carried by sprocket -wheels I0 and II which `are fixed to shafts I5 and I (iV respectively.

The shaft I6 extends across the front of the '5 radiator'A tor synchronize the movement of the two chains 8. Coiled about the shaft I6 is a spring I'i fixed at one end thereto and at the other end 'to the frame I8. The spring I1 tends to give a rotary movement to the chains 8 to carry o the roller- 5' upwardly. A ilexible cable I9 is fixed to one ofthe chains 8 and when drawn upwardly results in a lowering of the roller 5 whichI thenrolls up the curtain 3, dueto the action of the spring 9. When the tension in the cable I9 is released the spring Il on the shaft I6 `rotates the chains 8 to carry the roller 5 upwardly andthe curtain 3 is payed off to cover the front of the radiator I. v

The cable I9 is put under tension by the pres- 20 Vsure oil operated motor 20, oil under pressure being supplied by the oil pump 2| of the engine lubricating system. Oil is conducted from the pump 2 I/by the conduit 22 to the thermostatical- Aly controlledfvalve 23. As shown particularly in 25 Fig. 4, the thermostatically controlled Valve 23 Vis mounted on the cylinder head or like part-of the engine by a'stud 24. 'The valve body 25 is mounted on a casing 26, having located therein a bimetallic element 21. The bimetallic element 30 -21 i's adapted to engage with vthe plunger 28 pro- 'vided with an annular `groove 29. The plunger 28 is normally urged downwardly by a spring 30 actingragainst a plug 3|. As the bimetallic element" l2'I heats it rises to the position shown in 35 full lines inthe drawings and forces the plunger 28 upwardlybringing the groove 29 into align- Vment with the conduitr 22 entering one side of the body 25and the conduit 32 in alignment withthe conduit`22,"leaving vthe other side of the 40 `body'25'. Thus, when the engine reaches a predetermined temperature, oil 'under pressure passes -through the thermostatically operated Vvalve 23, and conversely, when the engine cools a cylinder 42 supported by base casting 43 bolted to the back wall 44 of the engine housing. 'I'he base casting 43 is provided with a vent 45 which communicates with the atmosphere to permit free movement of piston 46. The piston 46 is slidably fitted Within the cylinder 42 and carries two leather or the like washers 4'I. A suitable closure 49 is provided for the other end of the cylinder 42. Connected to the piston 46 and slidably fitting through the closure 49 is a connecting rod 50. cylinder 42 at 52. The free end of the connecting rod D has attached thereto a bracket 53 shown particularly in Figs.3` and 7. The bracket carries a freely rotating pulley 54 over which is passed the flexible cable I9. One end of the cable I9 is anchored to the frame 55, the cable passing over the sheaves 54 and 56 and the other end being connected to one of the chains 8 by the clamp 57. When oil is admitted to the motor 26 it forces the piston 46 to the right which in turn carries to the right the connecting rod 50. The movement is transferred to the pulley 54 which draws the cable I8 and which in turn lifts the chain 8. Lifting of the chain 8 lowers the roller 5, which, due to the action of the spring 9, rolls up the curtain 3 and uncovers the front of the radiator I. Should the temperature of the engine continue to rise the thermostatically operated valve 23 remains open permitting additional oil to be forced into the motor20. The curtain 3 will then continue to be lowered and at the time that the piston 46 of the motor 20 reaches the end of its stroke the curtain 3 will have reached the bottom of the radiator I.

In the event that it is desirable to open the curtain by manual operation a dash rod 60 is provided, tted in the dash 6I. The rod 60 slidably nts in and is adapted to engage the extension 62 on the bracket 53. By pulling out the rod 60 the connecting rod 50 is moved to the right and the curtain is lowered in the same manner as by the oil operation.

When the temperature of the engine is lowered and the supply of pressure oil'is cut off by the thermostatically operated valve 23, the Acurtain 3 should be raised to cover the front of the radiator. This operation is accomplished by a spring 65 connected to the bracket 53 and the frame 55. The spring 65 draws out the piston 46, which results in a slackening of the cable I9. The spring II on the shaft I6 then is able to lift the roller 5 by rotating the chains 8 and the curtain 3 is payed from the roller 5 to cover the front of the radiator I.Y The spring 65 may be dispensed with, if desired, and the operation accomplished solely by the action ofthe spring I'I.

Before the piston 46 will return to its left position the oil in the cylinder 52 must be released. This oil is returned to the crank case 33 by means of the one way return valve 66, shown in detail in Fig. 6. The valve 66 comprises a casing 40 and a plunger 61 urged in a direction contrary to the flow of pressure oil by the spring 68. Pressure oil flowing through the conduit 32 enters the casing 40 and strikes the -plunger 61. 'I'he The feed conduit 4I enters the chains.

plunger is moved back against the action of the spring 68 and oil under pressure iiows through the feed conduit 4I to the motor 2D. Oil under pressure is prevented from escaping to the return conduit 35 by the closing off by the plunger 61, of the auxiliary conduit 69, leading from the feed conduit 4I to the casing 40. When the oil under pressure is cut off by the thermostatically operated valve 23 the plunger 61 is forced to the right (in Fig. 6) by the spring 68, as shown Ain dotted outline, and a through passage is operating efficiency. While4 only a single modification of the invention has been disclosed it is apparent that other and equivalent mechanisms may be used to actually move the curtain and it is not intended that I be limited except by the scopeof the following claims.

I claim:

1-. Ina device of the ycharacter described for association With the radiator of an engine, a rolle-.ble curtain adapted to be rolled and unrolled in front of said radiator, one end of said curtain being fixed and the other end being rolled on a movable roller, apair of endless flexiblesupports mounting said roller, means within said roller tending to rotate in one direction, and means to move said flexible supports whereby the curtain is payed from said roller to cover said radiator.

2. In a device of the character described for association with the radiator of an engine, a flexible web adapted to control the flow of air through said radiator, an actuating device, a

frame for said radiator and said engine, tvvo pairs of rotatably mounted sprocket wheels on said frame, the wheels of each pair being in alignment, and one wheel of each pair being rigidly mounted on a single rotatable shaft, an endless chain mounted on each pair of aligned sprocket Wheels, a roller mounted for rotation on and between said chains said roller supporting one end of said flexible web, the other end of said web being fixed to said frame, means Within said roller tending to rotate it in one direction to wind up said flexible web and an operative connection between said actuating device and oneI of said chains. n

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 where- Yin said operative connection comprises a connecting rod, aloose pulleyY mounted on one end of said connecting rod and a flexible member fixed at one end to said frame, passing over said loose pulley and xed at the other end to one of said WILLARD O. TWOMBLY. 

